Apparatus fob transmitting motion from one movable member to another



H. C. FORD. APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION FROM ONE MOVABLE MEMBER TO ANOTHER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. l9l6.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

and State of New York,

sane PATENT carton.

HANNIBAL 0. FORD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'I'O FORD INSTRUMENT COMPANY, IN 0., CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING MOTION FROM ONE MOVABLE MEMBER TO ANOTHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. a, rare.

Application filed January 8, 1916. Serial No. 70,930.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HANNIBAL C. FORD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Queens tain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Transmitting Motion from One Movable Member to Another, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descri tion. 1

y invention relates to apparatus for transmitting movement from one movable member to another, and is particularly adapted to transmit angular movement from one rotative shaft to another. An object of 'my invention is to provide an apparatus of this character in which the driven member may have any desired or predetermined movement relative to that of the driving member, either proportionate or disproportionate thereto. A more specific object is to provide such an apparatus in which one of the shafts may have a uniform movement and the other shaft a variable movement.

Another object is to provide means for obtaining a large extent of variation in the ratios ofmovemen-t between the driving and driven members. Another object is to provide automatic means controlled jointly by the two members for regulating the movement of the driven member. Another object is to provide such automatic means which Will operate in either direction ofmovement of the driving member. Other general objects are reliability and accuracy of o eration, and simplicity and compactness of construction. Still other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following description.

My invention iswell adapted for'use in' connection with range finders for rectifying the variable relation between the'angular movement of,the angle measuring device and the indicated range, and I have shown' my inventionand shall describe it as applied to this use, although many other applications of the invention'will readily occur to"- When so embodied,

cator having a uniform sca1e,jand its uniform movement may be transmitted by well known means to some distant StfitlOIl; and

have invented certhe other shaft has a variable movement proportional to the movement of the refractmg prism of the angle measuring device.

n the simplest form of the device, the two shafts are provided with spiral cams, and a traveler is translated along the driving shaft by the rotation of its cam,-and engages the cam on the driven shaft and cooperates therewithto produce the proper rotation of Preferably, the driving the driven shaft. shaft is provided with a uniform spiral cam which serves as a feed screw to feed a nonrotative nut axially along the shaft asit is rotated, and the driven shaft has a variable spiral cam corresponding to the movement of the refracting prism throughout the scale of range, and the, nut has a portion which engages the variable cam whereby the uniform movement of the nut is converted into variable angular movement of the driven shaft, although it will be understood that erably does consist of a transmission between the twoshafts, which has a movable part adapted by its'movement to throw the actu ating mechanism into and out of operation, the movable part being controlled by the traveler. To effectthis control one of the shafts, for example, the driving shaft may be mounted for slight axial or other trans latory movement, and serves by its translation to effectuate the actuating mechanism, the axial position-of the shiftable shaft being controlled by the reaction between the traveler and the cam on the driven member. In order to obtain actuation in both directions the driving shaft may be provided with two one-way clutch elements, one being arranged to grip the driven clutch element in one direction of rotation of the driving shaft and the other-in the opposite direction. In the simplest form, the two driv 40 above the driven shaft. Both shafts extend ing clutch elements will be arranged on opposite, sides of a single driven clutch element, one engaging when the driving shaft is shifted in one direction and; the other when it is shifted in the opposite direction.

- My invention also comprehends various details of construction and arrangements and combinations of parts, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

, I shall now describe the illustrated c111 bodiment of my invention, and shall thereafterpoint out my invention in claims.

; Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a deviceeni-bodying my invention, the transmission mechanism being shown partly in elevation.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same taken on either of the two lines of section 2-2 lookingin the direction of the respective arrows.

. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the transmis sion mechanism as viewed from the left end of Fig, 1, with the nut on the end of the driving shaft removed.

f Inthe illustrated embodiment, the apparatus is contained in a rectangular casing 3 having a removable cover and an upstanding bearing and supporting plate 4, attached to the bottom of the casing and arranged transversely near one end thereof and serving to divide the interior of the casing substantially into two compartments, the-larger of which may he termed the shaft compartment and the smaller the transmission compartment. The driving shaft 5 and the driven shaftfi extend parallel longitudinally of the casing in the shaft compartment and bear with one end in the end of the casing and with their other end in the plate 4:, the driving shaft in the construction shown bemg through the plate 4 into the transmission compartment for. transmission purposes, as

-wil1 hereinafter appear.

the shaft compartment with a uniform screw thread, and a traveling nut 11 onthe shaft has a groove in one of its faces which "engages and slides over a longitudinal bar 12 which is secured at its ends in any suitable manner (not shown) and which holds the nut 11 against rotation. Rotation of the driving shaft 5 therefore imparts transla tory movement to the nut.

The driven shaft 6 has an enlarged drum portion 13 in the shaft compartment which is provided with a variable spiral groove 14 on its surface, which maybe a reciprocal groove cam corresponding to the relation between the angles formed by two light rays of the range finder and the correspondlng' ranges. This driven shaft is connected to move in proportion to therefracting prism .15 of the range finder, being operatively conbears in the bottom of the casing 3, a spur 18, and the sliding rack 20 which meshes with the pinion 19 and carries the prism 15. The nut'll has 2. depending pin 21 which pinion 19 on the lower end of the stub shaft engages in thecam groove 14, and isprovided with two short laterallugs which engage corresponding lugs on stops 22 and 23 at'the ends of its travel. 1

It is now apparent that the co-action of the pin 21 and the groove 14 will tend to cause the drum 13 to rotate as the driving shaft 5 is rotated, so as to permit the pin 21 to have its rectilinear movement of translation; and that to rotate the cam 14 so as to accommodate this movement of the pin 21, a relatively smaller movement is required at one end of'the scale than at the other, and that therefore the uniform angular movementof the driving shaft is converted into a variable angular movement of the driven shaft. The nut 11, having uniform movement, may cooperate with a uniform linear scale on the'bar 12, as shown, and through the pinions 24L and 2-5 the driving shaft 5 may operate a suitable range transmitting mechanism 26 at the range finding station which transmits the range to anindicator 27 at a distant station, similar tothe construc: tion described in my co-pending application Serial Number 64, 128, filed December 1,1915.

Where the cam groove 14 is not too steep,

the pin 21 will by its travel directly produce rotation of the drum 13, but as the slope of the cam increases, this cam action becomes increasingly difficult, and provision is made for assisting this cam action to an increasingly greater extent as the slope of the cam increases. For this purpose supplemental actuating mechanism is provided in the transmission compartment, which is con trolled by the .re-action between the pin 21 and the groove 14:. In the construction shown,.the driving shaft 5 is mounted so as to have slight axial movement, so that the rotational movement of the shaft in one direction will cause it to be shifted in one direction, due to the engagement of the pin 21 in'the steep portion of the groove 14, and

for the same reason, the rotational movement in the opposite direction will cause the shaft to be oppositely shifted. This shifting serves to operate a clutch mechanism in the transmission, as will now be'described.

A cylindrical casing 28 surrounds the end lid 0 of the Shaft I5 WhiCh extends into the trans mlssion compartment, and is secured to the plate 4: by screws, a shown. This transmission end of the driving shaft 5 is reduced, formingashoulder at its entrance into the casing28, and is provided with two opposed one-way-clutch elements which cooperate with a driven clutch element 29 arranged between the two driving clutch elements.- The driven clutch element 29 is an annulus loosely surrounding the shaft 5 and provided on each side with a frictional clutch face. The clutch element 29 bears rotatively within an annular bearingring or collar 30 secured internally within the casing 28, antifriction balls being provided for the: purpose, as shown, and its middle circumferential portion is reduced and provided with gear teeth which mesh with a gear wheel 31 on the end of the driven shaft 6, the casing 28 and bearing collar 30 being slotted to ad- I mit the gear wheel 31 to engage the driven clutch element 29. I I

The two driving clutchelements on the shaft 5 are of precisely the same construction and mode of operation, and the description, therefore, which has especial reference to the one on the right of the clutch element 29, will be understood to apply equally to both, except that the position of the two is reversed. The driving clutch element which codperates with the driven clutch element 29 is a hollow cylindrical member 32 which has on it left end a frictional clutch face cooperative with the adjacent one on the driven element 29. The driving element 32 has a one-way connection with the shaft 5, being rotated thereby when the shaft 5 is rotated clockwise, as viewed from the right, while the member 32 is idle when the shaft rotates in the opposite direction.

This one-way connection is provided by a so-called ball clutch. The ball carrying member of the 'ball clutch is a sleeve member 33 inside of the driven clutch member 32 and pinned to the shaft 5- by the pin 34, and having a flange portion the periphery of which is recessed in the usual way to hold a plurality of balls 35 (shown as two), which engage and clutch the inner periphery of the driven clutch member 32, when the shaft is rotated to the right as shown in Fig. 2, and

which roll down into the deepest part of therecesses in the usual way and are idle when the shaft is rotated to the left. This may therefore be called a right hand clutch.

A suitable detcnt is also provided to prevent the driving clutch element 32 from rotating backward or to the left. In the construction shown, a ball detent is employed for this purpose. The ball holding member 36 surrounds the sleeve 33 and is held against rotation by one or more tongue ortions 86 which engage in slots in the en of the casing 23. The balls 37 carried by the lated to the LIE?) member 36 also engage the inner periphery of the driven clutch member 32, the recesses in the member 36 being shaped to cause the balls 37 to lock the clutch member 32 against pzictkward rotation; that is, rotation to the It will now be seen that the shaft 5 will grip the driven clutch member .29 in both directions, and that the extent to which it grips is determined by the co-action of the pin 21 and the cam groove 14:- For example, if the knob 10 is turned to rotate the shaft 5 to the right, the pin 21 will tend to be transright, but since the groove l l will commonly be too steep to cause the drum 13 to be rotated by the unaided cam action of the pin 21 on the groove, the result will be that for the instant the nut 11 will stand still and the shaft 5 will be shifted to the left until the driving clutch element 32 of the right hand clutch grips the driven clutch element 29, and thereupon the transmission becomes efiectiveto rotate the shaft 6, the engagement of the clutch being control-led so as to impart only such actuation to the drum 13 as'to cause the groove 14. to provide a rectilinear path for the pin 21 at its uniform movements for corresponding ranges throughout the scale. The inner member 33 of the left hand clutch meanwhile rotates idly within the driven clutch member 32. A reversal of the direction of rotation of the shaft 5 causes vthe shaft be shifted to the right and the left hand driving clutch member 32 to be picked up and to engage the driven clutch member 29,

I whereupon'the drum 29 has the same relat ve movement'imparted to it in the opposite direction. a Y

It will be understood that the" relative movement of the two shafts is determined by the relation of their cams, and in the 'con struction shown, the movement of the drum 13 relative to that of the shaft 5 may be varied within limits by merely varying the shape of thecam 14. I

Two advantages secured by the above construction are, first, the accurate coiirdination of the two shafts throughout a large extent of movement, and, secondly, a large =the cam on the other member to regulate the position of the movable part, the cam being so shaped that the one member has the predetermined movement relative to the driving member.

2. A mechanical movement comprising a rotative driving shaft and a rotative driven shaft, each having a spiral cam thereon, a transmission mechanism coupling the two members and including a movable part adapted in one position to render the transmission means operative and in another position to render the transmission means inoperative, and a traveler engaging both cams and cooperative therewith to regulate the position of the movable part.

3. In combination with a driving member and a driven member, a direct connection between said members subject to a variable load and auxiliary transmission means coupling the two members comprising a clutch controlled by the load on the direct connection' between said members, cooperative with both members and jointly controlled thereby for controlling the engagement of the clutch elements.

4-. In combination with a driving member and a driven member, transmission means coupling the two members and comprising two clutches, one operative to transmit motion in one direction to the driven member when the driving member is moved in one direction, and the other operative to transmit motion in the opposite direction to the driven member when the driving member is moved in the opposite direction, and means cooperative with both members and jointly controlled thereby for operating the two clutches.

5. -Amechanica1 movement comprising a driving shaftand a driven shaft, each having a Spiral cam thereon, transmission means coupling the two shafts and including a clutch member, and operating means for the clutch member arranged under the joint control of the two cams.

6. A mechanical, movement comprising a driving shaft and a driven shaft, each having. a spiral cam thereon and one of the shafts being axially movable, transmission means coupling the two shafts and including a clutch, one element of the clutch having operative connection with the axially stationary shaft and the other element of the clutch being-operatively connected to the axially movable shaft and movable by the axial movement thereof into and out of engagement with its complementary element, and means engaging the cams on both shafts and cooperative therewith to control-the axial position of the axially movable shaft alnd 1ltihereby control the operation of the c utc I vices earriedby the driving 5 7 A mechanical movement comprising an axially movable driving shaft having a spiral cam thereon, a driven shaft having a spiral cam thereon, transmission means coupling the two shafts and including a clutch, one element of the clutch having direct connection with the driven shaft and the other element of the clutch bei operatively connected to the driving sha t and mova l the axial movement thereof into and out of eby' and the other element of the clutch having 1 operative connection with the axially movable shaft and movable by the axial movement thereof into and out of engagement i with its complementary element, and a traveling nut on the driving'shaft arranged to be fe positively along the driving shaft by the rotation thereof and having a portion engaging the cam on the driven shaft,

whereby the nut operates to control the clutch and cause a variable movement to be imparted to the driven shaft when the driving shaft has uniform angular movement.

9. In combination with a driving shaft and a driven shaft, transmission means coupling the two shafts and comprising a clutch element having operative connection with one of the shafts and two oppositely operative clutch elements cooperative with the first'clutch element, automatic means controlled by the relative angular movement of the two shafts for causing the first clutch element to engage one of the latter clutch elements in one direction of rotation and the other in the opposite direction of rotation, and two' gripping devices carried by the other of said shafts and cooperative with the respective latter clutch elements, one being arranged to grip its clutch element only in one relative direction of rotation and the other being arranged to grip its clutch element only 1n the opposite relative direction of rotation.

10. In combination with adriving shaft and a driven shaft, transmission means coupling the two shafts comprising a driven clutch element having direct connection with the driven shaft, two driving clutch elements arranged to be moved alternately into and'out of operative engagement with the driven clutch element, and two gripping (le aft and conarrate operative with the respective driving-clutch elements, one being arranged to grip its clutch element only when the driving shaft is rotated in one direction and the other being arranged to grip its clutch element only when the driving shaft is rotated in the opposite direction. 1

driven clutch element, two gripping devices carried by the driving shaft and cooperative with the respective driving clutch elements, one being arranged to grip its clutch element only when the driving shaft is rotated in one direction and the other being ar-' ranged to grip its clutch element only when the driving shaft is rotated in the opposlte direction, and braking means vfor preventing backward rotation of the driving clutch elements.

a 12. A mechanical movement comprising a driving shaft having a spiral cam thereon, a driven shaft havin a spiral cam thereon, one of the shafts being axially shiftable, a driven clutch element having operatlve connection with the driven shaft, two driving clutch elements operatively, connected with the driving shaft, the cooperatlve clutch elements bein arranged under the control of the shiftab e shaft so that in one axial position of the shiftable shaft one driving clutch element engages the driven clutch element and in another axial position of the shiftable shaft the other driving, clutch element engages the driven clutch element, and means engaging the cams on both shafts and cooperative therewith to control the axial position of the shiftable shaft and thereby control the engagement of the two driving clutch elements WltlL the driven clutch element.

13. A mechanical movement comprising a driving shaft having a feed screw thereon, a driven shafthaving a variable spiral cam thereon, one of the shafts being axially shiftable, a driven clutch element having operative connection with the driven shaft, two driving clutch elements having opera.- tive connection with the driven shaft, the cotiperative clutch elements being arranged tinder the control of the shiftable shaft so that in 'one axial position of the shiftable shaft one driving clutch element engages the driven clutch element and in another axial position of the shiftable shaft the other driving clutch element engages the driven clutch element, and a traveling nut on the driving shaft arranged to be fed positively along the driving shaft by the rotation a shaft having 'a thereof and having a portionengaging the cam on the driven shaft, whereby the nut controls the operation ofthe two clutches and causes. a variable movement to be imparted to the drivenshaft.

14. A mechanical movement comprising an axially movable driving shaft having a spiral cam thereon, a driven shaft having a spiral cam thereon, a friction clutch includmg a driven clutch element having direct connection with the driving shaft and a driving clutch element having operative connection with the driving shaft and arranged to be moved into and out of frictionafli clutch engagement with its complementary member by the axial movement of the drivng shaft, and a traveling member engagmg the spiral cam on the'driving shaft and movable thereby as the driving shaft rotates and having a portion engaging-abs spiral cam on the driven shaft, whereby ,the traveling member regulates the axial position of the driving shaft and operates the clutch so as to impart angular movement to the driven shaft having' the same relation to that of the driving shaft that the spiral cam on the driven shaft has to that on the driving shaft. x p

15. A I mechanical movement comprising uniform spiral cam thereon, a second shaft having a variable spiral cam thereon, and a non-rotative nut on one of said shafts adapted to be translated axially along said shaft by the rotation thereof and having a portion thereof engaging the spiral cam on the second shaft, and auxlli-ary means controlled by the engagement of the nut and the cam upon said second shaft for driving said second shaft.

16. A mechanical movement com rising a driving shaft having a uniform fee 7 screw thereon, a driven shaft having a variable spiral cam thereon, a non-rotative not on axially along the driving shaft by the rotation thereof and having a portion engaging the variable cam on the driven shaft, and actuating means for the driven shaft arranged under the control of the nut to rotate the driven shaft so as topermit the nut to be translated along the driving shaft, whereby the two shafts havedifierential movement. I 1

17; A mechanical movement comprising a driving shaft and a driven shaft, each having a spiral cam thereon, one cam being variable and one of the two shafts being mounted for relatively slight axial movement, a traveling member engaging the cam on the driving shaft and adapted to be translated axially along the driving shaft by the rotation thereof and having a portion engaging the cam on the driven shaft, the variable cam being so shaped that rotation of the the driving shaft adapted to be translated driven shaft is directly produced by the engagemcnt of the traveling member with a portion of the cam and an axial movement of the axially movable shaft is produced by the engagement of the traveling member with the rest of the cam, and supplemental actuating means for the driven shaft controlled 1) the axial movement of the axially movable shaft, whereby a large variation in ratio of movement between the-two shafts is .pro-

, duced.

18. A mechanical movement comprising two rotatable members adapted to have a predetermined relative rotational movement, one of the members being translatable relative to the other, actuating mechanism for driving one of the members when the translatable member occupies a certain position, and meanscontrolled by the relative rotation of the two members for moving the translatable member to said position.

19. A mechanical movement comprising two rotatable members, each having a spiral cam thereon, one of the members being translatable relative to the other, actuating mechanism for driving one of the members when the translatable member occupies a certain position, a traveler engaging both cams and cooperative therewith to regulate the position of the translatable member, the

cams being so shaped that the actuating mechanism is caused to impart a predetermined relative rotational movement forthe member driven thereby.

20. A mechanical movement comprising two rotatable members, each having a spiral cam thereon, one of the cams being variable and one of the members being translatable relative to the other, actuating mechanism for driving one of the members when the translatable member occupies a certain position, and a traveler engaging both cams and cooperative therewith to regulate the position of the translatable member.

21. A mechanical movement comprising two rotatable members adapted to have a predetermined relative rotational movement, one of the members bein translatable relative to the other, actuating mechanism in- I cluding a clutch for driving one of the members, one element of the clutch being controlled by the translation of the translatable member, and means controlled .by

the relative rotation of the two members for causing translatory' movement of the translatable member.

22. A mechanical movement comprising two rotatable'members, each having a spiral cam thereon, one of the members being translatable relative to the other, actuating mechanism including a clutch for driving one of the members, one of the elements of the clutch being controlled by the translation of the translatable element, and a traveler engaging both cams and cooperative therewith to regulate the position of the translatable member, the cams being so shaped \that the actuating mechanism is -caused to impart a predetermined relative rotational movement to the member driven thereby.

I 23- A mechanical movement comprising a rotative driving shaft and a rotative driven member and a-driven rotary member, each .having a spiral cam and one of the cams be,-

ing variable, a part engaging both cams.

actuating mechanism for the driven member, and means for controlling'the actuating mechanism arranged under the control of said part.

25. A mechanical movement comprising a driven rotatable member having a spiral cam thereon, a traveler engaging said cam, means for feeding the traveler to produce rotation of the driven member, and auxiliary actuating mechanism adapted to cause rotation of the driven member, the auxiliary actuating mechanism being controlled by variations in the reaction between the cam and the traveler.

26. A mechanical movement comprising a driving shaft and a driven shaft, eachhaving a spiral cam thereon, one of which is variable, a traveler engaging both cams and being translated by the rotation of the drivin shaft and producing rotation of the driven shaft by its translation and auxiliary means for rotating said driven member controlled by the engagement of the traveler with the cam.

27. A mechanical movement comprising a driving member and a driven member, the

' two members being adapted tohave a predetermined relative movement, a main trans-' mission mechanism directly connecting said members, an auxiliary. transmission mechanism for driving the driven member and including a movable part adapted in one position to render the auxiliary transmission means operative and in another position to render the auxiliary transmission means inoperative, and means controlled by the main transmission forcontrolling the auxiliary transmission.

28. In a combination, a driving and driven member having a direct connection between them subjectto a variable load, aux- '130 I ilia-ry means for driving .the driven member comprising a clutch controlled by the load upon the direct connection between said members.

29. In a mechanical movement, a rectilinearly movable member, a rotary part having a spiral cam thereon associated with said member, means for displacing said member to rotate said part, mechanism for driving said part and a clutch controlled by the em gagement of said member with said cam for controlling said mechanism.

30. In a mechanical movement, a rectilinearly movable part, a rotary part having a spiral cam engaging said displaceable part,

a driving mechanism for one of said parts and a normally inoperative auxiliarydriving mechanism for the other said parts controlled by the engagement between said first-named'part and cam.

31. In a mechanical movement, a rectilinearly movable member, a rotary part having a spiral cam thereon associated with said member, means for displacing said member and means for rotating said part controlled by the engagement between said member and cam.

82. Inja combination, a movable prism of a range finder having a variable rectilinear displacement for uniform changes in range, a member having uniform displacements for uniform changes in range and a mechanical driving mechanism interposed between said prism and member for converting the variable rectilinear movement of said prism into a uniform rotary movement.

33. In a combination, a movable prism of a range finder having variable rectilinear displacements for uniform changes in range, a member having uniform displacements for uniform changes in range and a mechanical drive including a cam interposed between said prism and member.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

HANNIBAL 0. FORD. Witnesses:

VICTOR D. BoRsT, WALDO M. CHAPIN. 

